Singapore-MIT alliance

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Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) was founded in 1998 as an initiative to develop research talents who can contribute locally to the economy. Born out of a collaboration between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University, it currently offers five postgraduate programs.

The programs are:

1. Computational Engineering (CE)
2. Computation and Systems Biology (CSB)
3. Manufacturing Systems and Technology (MST)[1]
4. Advanced Materials for Micro- and Nano- Systems (AMM&NS)
5. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering (CPE)

There are three pathways of students enrolled in this program: Dual Masters, Master-PhD and direct PhD. Students admitted to the dual Masters or Master-PhD track will be conferred an MIT Master degree in addition to an NUS degree. Currently SMA admits approximately 100-120 students per year for all 5 programs. All students are awarded the SMA fellowship which provides all tuition fees at MIT and NUS and living allowance, travel grants. Student seeking admission to the dual Masters or Master-PhD programs must satisfied the requirements of both MIT and NUS independently and separately. The admission process is decentralized, admission decisions to MIT and NUS are made separately while the award of SMA fellowship is solely determined by SMA office in Singapore.

After the dual masters the student can proceed to do an NUS/NTU PhD by passing a PhD qualifying examination without having to apply for admission again.

SMA Vision

To be a premier and unparalleled interactive distance educational and research enterprise that is internationally recognized and that attracts the very best engineering and life sciences graduate students and researchers from Singapore and all over Asia.

SMA Mission

Attract and develop talented human capital for Singapore industries, universities, and research establishments; Provide a platform for organizational learning that will raise the general level of all the partner institutions; Create world-class educational programs and high-impact research initiatives in areas crucial to the growth of Singapore’s economy; Foster strong academia-industry-research institute linkages and collaborations providing the basis for an enduring and viable partnership; Establish a standard for quality, diversity, integrity, commitment, and service to the global knowledge community.

A New Model in Global Education The Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA) is an innovative engineering education and research collaboration among the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Founded in November, 1998 to promote global engineering education and research, SMA brings together the resources of three premiere academic institutions, while providing students with unlimited access to exceptional faculty expertise and superior research facilities.

A Centre of Excellence A primary goal of SMA is the creation of a world-class centre for graduate education and research in engineering, which features technologically advanced distance learning facilities. SMA will provide opportunities for private-sector organizations to participate in SMA's research, collaborate with its students, and recruit potential employees.

The Future of Engineering Education SMA combines a focus on creativity and entrepreneurship with an intense, hands-on approach to research. Graduates will comprise some of the industry's best-educated professionals, both in the growing economy of Singapore and in industrial centres across the globe. This groundbreaking collaboration among NUS, NTU and MIT represents an unwavering commitment to promoting engineering innovation and excellence.